Amadou Dia

Second-year defender Amadou Dia was selected by Sporting Kansas City with the 20th overall pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. During his rookie season with Sporting KC, he started 18 of 27 appearances in all competitions and tallied three assists.

2016: MLS regular season: Has started nine of 10 appearances and contributed to three shutouts (817 minutes played). Open Cup: Did not feature. Swope Park Rangers: Was loaned to the Rangers on June 25.

2015: MLS regular season: Made 22 appearances with 13 starts (1317 minutes played), recorded one assist and contributed to six clean sheets. Became the first rookie to start a season-opening match for Sporting KC since 2011. Started in consecutive shutouts at Seattle on May 23 (0-0 draw), home to FC Dallas on May 29 (4-0 win) and home to Seattle on June 6 (1-0 win). Earned MLS Team of the Week honors in Week 12 for his defensive performances in consecutive shutouts. Earned MLS Team of the Week honors in Week 30 after recording his first MLS assist in a 1-1 draw against Seattle on Sept. 27, setting up Dom Dwyer in the second half. MLS Cup Playoffs: Started and played 120 minutes in Sporting KC's 7-6 penalty kick shootout loss at Portland after a 2-2 draw through regulation. Assisted Krisztian Nemeth's go-ahead goal in extra time and converted his penalty kick in the shootout. Open Cup: Started four matches and recorded one assist. Started and played 81 minutes in a 1-0 fourth round win over Saint Louis FC on June 16. Started and played 90 minutes in a 6-2 fifth round win over FC Dallas on July 1. Started and played 90 minutes in a 3-1 quarterfinal win over the Houston Dynamo on July 21, recording his first professional assist on a goal from Dom Dwyer as Sporting KC went ahead 2-1 late in the game. Started and played 90 minutes in a 3-1 semifinal win over Real Salt Lake on Aug. 12.

COLLEGE

The left back appeared in 70 games during a four-year collegiate career at Clemson, contributing four goals and six assists. As a senior in 2014, he led the Tigers to the school’s first ACC soccer championship since 2001 en route to reaching the Round of 16 in the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship.

YOUTH

Dia has represented the United States at the under-14 (2007), under-18 (2009, 2010) and under-20 (2012) levels and also holds dual citizenship in his native France. As a youth, he was an NSCAA All-American and Colorado’s Gatorade Boys Soccer Player of the Year at Mountain Vista High School. In addition, he excelled for Real Colorado in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy and was a member of the Region IV team within the Olympic Development Program.